The Friday Night Rumor Mill

After a layoff of several weeks, the Rumor Mill returns to the Friday night lights…

The biggest trade of spring training in 2006 involved the Red Sox and Reds, with the two teams swapping Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena. The way things are transpiring in Florida and Arizona right now, there might not be any trades this spring that come close to rivaling even that one in terms of impact and headlines. Up until now, there has only been one trade of substance made during spring training, and that happened earlier on Friday, with the Royals acquiring Tony Pena Jr. from the Braves to be their starting shortstop. Sadly, for those who enjoy rumor-mongering, the situation may not change drastically between now and Opening Day. Oh, there might be another deal or two before the first pitches are thrown, but I can’t remember a spring training that has been colder on the rumor front than this one…

Some of the rumors are just that—rumors. For example, there’s been rumbling of the Yankees and Angels discussing an Alex Rodriguez swap (one rumor had A-Rod doing west for a package of Jered Weaver, Jose Molina and minor league pitcher Dustin Moseley), but that’s more wishful thinking than anything else. Yankee GM Brian Cashman doesn’t want to consider an A-Rod trade just yet, and A-Rod won’t give his consent to a trade this early in the season. So nothing will happen on this front until at least a couple of months into the season…

In reality, the two hottest names on the trade market are relievers Armando Benitez and Jorge Julio. Both are available, and both are in some demand because of the crying need for bullpen health in both leagues. Julio seems like the most likely to be traded; the D-backs have talked to the Marlins and Mariners, among other teams. Julio comes relatively cheap, as he’s scheduled to make $3.6 million in 2007 … The Giants have talked to the Reds, the Marlins, and the Mariners about Benitez, who has lost weight and has looked good this spring (that’s the good news), but still carries the stigma of being less-than-reliable in the clutch and also carries a $7 and a half million salary (that’s the bad). Benitez makes a ton of sense for Philadelphia, where he can be used in a set-up role instead of in the high-intensity role of close, but Phillies GM Pat Gillick has been consumed with trade talk involving Jon Lieber. And even the latter subject seems to be a moot point now that Freddy Garcia has come up with some tenderness in his triceps. Lieber might still be traded before Opening Day—remember that Gillick pulled off the David Dellucci trade last spring—but I’d bet that the paunchy right-hander stays put for now…

Several middle infielders are on the block, most notably Angel Berroa of the Royals, Tampa Bay’s Jorge Cantu, and Clint Barmes of the Rockies. The Royals have become so fed up with Berroa’s lack of development that they are prepared to give him an outright release if they can’t trade him before Opening Day. Having lost out on the shortstop job in Colorado, Barmes could be an option for the Cubs if they feel they can’t carry Cesar Izturis’ bat. As for Cantu, his stock has fallen dramatically from its peak of two years ago. Scouts not only question whether he should continue to play second base, but whether he will ever come close to recapturing his 2005 hitting stroke. The Mets might have some interest in Cantu, but they won’t be ready to make a deal until they’re convinced that Jose Valentin’s 2006 season was a fluke. For what it's worth, Valentin is having a terrific spring at the plate…

Of the outfielders on the trade block, two of the most prominent names are Marcus Thames and Aaron Rowand. I can’t understand why the Tigers have buried Thames, who’s a capable power hitter with the versatility to play all three outfield spots, though none of them particularly well. The Tigers wouldn’t play Thames in the postseason and won’t give him a realistic chance to win the first-base job over Sean Casey. (Of course, the same could be said of Chris Shelton, who remains persona-non-grata in Detroit and could be traded sometime this spring or summer.) As for Rowand, there continues to be talk of a trade that could land him back in Chicago, maybe for a package of Rob Mackowiak and a reliever (Mike MacDougal?). The rumors of Rowand going to San Diego, however, have completely died down. The Padres don’t want to detract from their bullpen to add a player who is too much like their own Mike Cameron. Thames would actually be a better fit for the Padres; it’s just a question of what San Diego would be willing to send to Detroit. If the Padres don't want to deal from the strength of their bullpen, they might have to part with a solid prospect.